The Big Three love raising prices. On top of that, all three have been pushing AI support, much to the chagrin of anyone who just wants to speak to a real human being. But surprisingly enough, a new study suggests that carriers might actually be moving in the right direction.
Greater satisfaction
JD Power surveyed 57,339 customers between December 2025 and May 2026 to gauge their opinions of pricing, service quality, trust, ease of doing business, people, offerings, digital tools, and problem resolution.
The analytics company found that carriers are fixing problems faster, delivering high-quality service, and offering superior value. Overall customer satisfaction went up 10 points on a 1,000-point scale compared to six months ago.
AI assistants handle 45% of customer support calls, successfully resolving problems 48% of the time. Satisfaction scores on such calls sit 20 points lower than those fielded entirely by humans. But when AI does manage to fix the problem, customer satisfaction surges by 83 points. Unsurprisingly, AI stumbles when queries are complex.
Meanwhile, monthly bills saw a dip. Customers paid an average of $145 per month for bundled wireless service, down $10 from six months ago, and $102 for standalone wireless service, down $6.
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The ‘big three’ mobile network operators are working hard across multiple fronts to deliver a standout customer experience, and those efforts are paying off in the form of higher levels of overall customer satisfaction throughout the industry.
Carl Lepper, senior director, TMT and Utilities Practice at JD Power, July 2026
T-Mobile shines
T-Mobile customers reported the highest satisfaction. | Image by JD Power
T-Mobile took top honors in both the postpaid and prepaid segments for the third consecutive study cycle, scoring above industry averages.
Consumer Cellular took gold in the postpaid Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) category, while Mint Mobile won the prepaid MVNO segment.
Which finding do you agree with?
Valuable insights
A string of recent reports show that the network gap among the three major carriers is closing. That means AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon can no longer rely on their respective network strengths to win customers, making pricing and customer care the real battlefield.
While the data shows that the three have all bases covered, T-Mobile's edge should give it an advantage in retaining customers. In reality, though, T-Mobile was the only facilities-based carrier to see more customers leaving in Q2.
Changing times
Perhaps the most important takeaway is that AI assistants aren't that bad, and they work half the time. While that's not a promising stat when viewed in isolation, it makes sense considering it hasn't been long since carriers started integrating AI into their systems.
Even more surprising is the fact that people are actually paying less, despite carrier rate cards and every corner of the internet trying to convince us otherwise.
Read more about recent AI and pricing trends at carriers:
Mint Mobile is now allowing you to get whichever plan you like for either three, six, or 12 months for just $15/mo. If you go for the six-month unlimited service, for instance, you'll now have to pay just $90 upfront instead of $210.
Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.
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